Ellery Clark

Ellery Clark holds the distinction of being the only man to win both the Olympic high jump and long jump. Clark, a 22-year-old Harvard grad, claimed this noteworthy double at the first Modern Olympics with marks of 5-11½ (1.81) and 20-11 (6.37). On his return from Greece, Clark developed into a highly versatile athlete, winning the National All-Around Championship in 1897 and 1903. In 1904, the American and Olympic All-Around Championship were one and the same event, but Clark was seriously weakened by bronchitis in St. Louis and in his second Olympic appearance he placed no better than fifth in the event that was the forerunner of the modern decathlon. In his professional life, Ellery Clark showed all-round talents that even exceeded his sporting versatility. He wrote 19 books, ranging from the definitive work on railway accident law to a book on religious philosophy and two of his novels were adapted for films by Hollywood. He was an alderman of the city of Boston, an assistant track coach at Harvard, a teacher of English composition at a Cambridge school, and a prominent lawyer in Boston.

Personal Bests: HJ – 5-11½ (1.81) (1896); LJ – 21-7¾ (6.60) (1897); SP – unknown.